Knitting-machine.



L. N. D. WILUAMS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICAUUN FILED FEB, I3. 19|41 4 llfifi wgg, Patented Deal 1915 2 SHEETSSHEET l.

INVETOR LOWS N. D. WILLIAMS BY HIS ATTORNEY wrmEssEs L. N. U. WiLMAMS.

KIHT'HYG MACHlNE.

vvuclu'z-ow mm FEE. i3. i914 mi INVENW BE N. 0. WILLIAMS Hm) ATTORNEY UNlT ran LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS, (DGONTZ, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNITTING-MACHINE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs N. D. (VIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the United States, re-

' siding in Ogontz, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Knittingthe needle, or when the projeating move needle hook'and preventing the drop stitches ment thereof begins, and means for insuring the engagement of the knitting yarn by-the which result when the latch closes the hook of the'needle at the time when the yarn is being fed thereto.

being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section and on an enlarged scale, of a knitting machine latch needle showing',""in full lines, the latch in its fully opened position, but illustrating in combination with the needle a jack at the front of the needle for lifting the latch as indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a similar view but illustrating in full linesthe latch in the closed position and the jack in position to cooperate with the latch to open the same, as indicated by dotted lines; Figs. 3 and t are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but illustrating a construction of latch and jack in which the jack is at the back of the needle; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a needle with a modified form of rear jack; Fig. 6 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing a modified type of latch opener; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the same.

In the drawings, 1 represents the stem or shank of a knitting machine needle, '2 the hook at the upper end of the same, 3 the swinging latch, and 4 the slot in the needle stem for the reception of said latch.

In knitting machines of the finer gages, inwhich very fine latch needles are used,

',the latch, when fully opened, occupies a position so nearly parallel to the line of movement of the needle that if its end contacts with an unyielding obstacle during the retraction of. the needle the pressure upon the latch is resisted by the pivot pin 5 and I Specification of Letters Patent.

This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference" Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

Application filed February 13, 193.4. Serial No. 818,465.

the latch will not swing on this pivot but will be distorted or broken by the pressure upon it. \Vitl1 the view of overcoming this objection I provide for swinging the latch outwardly. from its fully opened position to such an extent that when, on-..the retraction of the needle carrying the latch the point of the latter comes into contact with an unyielding obstacle, the pressure upon the latch will cause it to swing uponits I movementindependent of that of the needle,

and, when the needle reaches such a position in its retracting movement that it'becomes desirable to raise the latch from its open'position, shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the jack 6 may be caused to move independently of the needle and act upon the backof the latch to lift the same to the position shown by dotted lines, and may be retained in this projected position until the retracting movement of the needle has been completed. It is also desirable to prevent the closing of the hook by the latch at the time that the thread is being fed to the needle, otherwise the closed latch will prevent the thread from entering the hook of the needle and will cause a drop stitch. To effect this result the butt of the latch has a cam face 7 and the forward end of the jack 6 has a cam face 8 which, when the jack is moved longitudinally upon the needle to the proper position, engages with the cam face 7 and causes the closed jack (shown by full lines in Fig. 2) to be swung outward to the position shown by dotted lines in said figure, thus opening the hook' and permitting engagement of the knitting yarn therewith.

In the needle shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the pivot and prevent injury to the latch. One

jack 6 is disposed at the back of the needle j the partially opened position shown by dotto move the latch from the closed.

' the needle a fixed bit such as shown at- 13 in Figs. 6 and 7 may be employed, this bit engaging with the heel ofthe latch as the needle is retracted and serving to open the latch for the entrance of the yarn into the hook of the needle.

I claim:

1. The combination, in a knitting machine, of a latch needle having a pivoted latch and a device acting upon the butt of the latch to swing the spoon of the latch out- Wardly'from its fully closed position, said latch and latch opener being susceptible of movement one in respect to the other in the direction of travel of the needle.

2. The combination of a knitting machine needle having a pivoted latch with a jack movable longitudinally independently of the needle and so disposed as to act upon the back of the latch to swing the spoon of the same outwardly whenthe latch is open and upon the butt of the latch to swing the spoon of the same outwardly when the latch is closed.

3. The combination of a knitting machine latch needle having a pivoted latch, with a jack mounted upon said needle but movable longitudinally independently thereof, to act upon the latch so as to swing the same outwardly from its fully open position.

4. The combination of a knitting machine latch needle having a pivoted latch, with a jack mounted upon said needle but movable longitudinally independently thereof, to act upon the latch to move the same out.- Wardly from its closed position.

5. The combination of a knitting machine latch needle having a pivoted latch, with a jack mounted upon but movable independ ently of the needle and acting upon the latch so as to either raise the same from its open position or swing it outward from its.

closed position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed myname to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS N. D. l/VILLIAMS. Witnesses KATE A. BEADLE,

HAMILTON D. TURNER. 

